One-team elite sportspeople are increasingly rare in the modern era. Very few choose to take the same path of the likes of legendary AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini, or lost NBA icon Kobe Bryant who dedicated his entire career to the LA Lakers.

And it practically unheard of in Formula 1. Even those whose names are synonymous with one specific team didn't race there for their whole careers, like Michael Schumacher who won two titles with Benetton before starring with Ferrari, and Lewis Hamilton who won six titles with Mercedes but started out at McLaren, and now races for the Scuderia.

Charles Leclerc cannot be the man to buck that trend, having made his F1 debut with Sauber before being called up to Ferrari a year later. But the Monegasque says he is committed to spending the rest of his career trying to restore the team back to its former glory.

Because this is a Ferrari team approaching two decades' worth of racing without the success it so desperately craves. Kimi Raikkonen remains the most recent drivers' champion representing the famous red team, having lifted the title in 2007, while the constructors' success the following year was the Scuderia's most recent taste of glory.

This is Leclerc's seventh season representing the team he clearly loves so much. He turns 28 in October and has already committed his long-term future to the cause, having penned a multi-year contract which is understood to run until 2029.

That is despite having watched on enviously as drivers representing Mercedes, Red Bull and now McLaren have been crowned champion. So why has he not yet grown tired of that situation and walked away from Ferrari in pursuit of individual success?

"Because I love this team very much, I think that's the answer," he replied. "I've always loved Ferrari and that's where I draw my motivation from because I want to bring back Ferrari to the top, no matter how long it takes."

It was at that point that Leclerc named the only scenario in which he might give serious thought to walking away. He continued: "I'll do absolutely everything until I stop believing in the project. But, at the moment I'm fully into it, I'm fully working on it and that's what motivates me.

"Of course that doesn't erase the disappointment that I had at the beginning of the season when I saw that we were quite a few steps behind McLaren. But then you reset and you find your motivation in other goals, in other targets, which is now to hopefully get a win this year.

"It's underwhelming compared to where we wanted to be, but it's a situation we are in and as a driver I've got to make the best out of this situation, not only for the team but also for myself. I'm very competitive as well so the fact that we've got two cars is also something that pushes me to keep being at the top of my game and to keep improving."

Charles Leclerc on his Ferrari love affair and the one scenario in which he could quit - The Mirror